Spruce Goose

The "Spruce Goose" (officially the Hughes H-4 Hercules) is the largest flying boat ever built. It is the centerpiece of the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum in McMinnville, OR. Due to limited supply of metals during WWII, the plane is mostly made of birch (not spruce!). It flew one time on November 2, 1947.

A few facts about the plane:

• Aircraft Type: Cargo Prototype
• First Flight: November 2, 1947
• Wingspan: 319 feet 11 inches
• Length: 218 feet 8 inches
• Height: 79 feet 4 inches
• Weight: 300,000 pounds
• Capacity: 18 Crew, 750 troops
• Cruise Speed: 220 mph
  
  

This is a model of the plane used in the movie The Aviator.

The Museum is housed in three buildings. One large building houses the Spruce Goose and several other (mostly military) aircraft. A duplicate building across the parking lot houses the space exhibits. On our visit (March 2009) it appeared the exhibits were under development. There is a replica of the lunar lander and a missle launch simulator. Pictorial displays take the visitor through the years showing highlights of space exploration and travel through the years. A smaller building between the two large ones contains an IMAX theatre. They were showing a movie on life in the International Space Station. I found this to be very interesting and the 3D effects (with glasses!) were very effective.

In my opinion, there are two negatives of the museum. First, the high level of militarism and nationalism was offputting. A soon-to-be-opened gun collection fits right in. Second, there are many additional costs once you enter the museum. The museums and movie cost $30/person. Add-ons include a docent tour of the exhibits and entrance (beyond a cursory peek into the fuselage) of the Spruce Goose.